Congressman fires staffers over indiscreet tweets

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A congressman from Washington state fired three aides on Thursday shortly after learning of their indiscreet tweets that talked of on-the-job drinking and insulted their boss.

Democratic Representative Rick Larsen fired the youthful trio — Seth Burroughs, Elizabeth Robbee and Ben Byers — shortly after a report by the online NW Daily Marker outlined their Twitter feeds from August to early December.

The tweets carried on the journal’s site included references to a morning round of “Jack” shots on the steps of a congressional office building, watching Nirvana clips on YouTube, and a reference to “my idiot boss.”

Larsen and his staff learned about the tweets at noon EST and they were fired just over an hour later, the congressman’s office said in a statement.

“Neither Congressman Larsen nor his other staff were aware of the actions by these three staff members before today,” it said.

“Congressman Larsen is disappointed by their actions and takes this very seriously. He has made it clear that he will not tolerate this kind of behavior.”